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How long do I wait after taking ibuprofen to take meloxicam?

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Oct 24, 2023.

Official answer

by Drugs.com

You are best to wait until the effects of the ibuprofen wear off, which would be in around 6 hours time, before starting the Meloxicam and stopping the Ibuprofen.

Ibuprofen and meloxicam both belong to the same therapeutic class, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). NSAIDs help to reduce pain, and help to decrease swelling and inflammation. Taking multiple NSAIDs together can lead to gastrointestinal problems.

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Ibuprofen is short acting, while naproxen is long acting and more likely to cause an upset stomach. Naproxen and ibuprofen are both NSAIDs so they are similar in many ways, but there are important differences. Continue reading

Even though aspirin and Ibuprofen are both NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and work similarly, there are several differences between the two drugs and they are not considered interchangeable. Continue reading

Despite popular belief that you have to take ibuprofen with food, you can take ibuprofen on an empty stomach and this will give you faster pain relief than taking it with food. Food increases the time it takes for ibuprofen to be absorbed, although it won't affect how much is absorbed. There is actually no evidence that taking ibuprofen with food prevents gastric irritation – ibuprofen at OTC doses has a low incidence of gastric irritation anyway. Continue reading

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